Avintia has confirmed it did approach Johann Zarco over the prospect of a return to MotoGP in 2020 as a replacement for Karel Abraham, but the offer was turned down.
Zarco joined KTM team this year but decided to quit the team part-way through the first season of his two-year deal, having struggled to adapt to the bike. He then replaced LCR Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami at Phillip Island.
“No idea. I don’t think too much, and I let people work for me for this weekend. But, as I say, I want a good team with a good bike, and for me Avintia is not a top team.” Zarco said.
“It would be a mistake to go there, it would be better to go back to Moto2. I’m not criticising anyone, but I don’t want to make the same mistake as when I signed with KTM.” Zarco added.
Zarco was involved in a horror accident during MotoGP’s Valencia. He, along with Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci and younger Iker Lecuona, crashed on lap 14 at Turn 6, all three riders falling separately mere moments from one another.
Jorge Lorenzo has announced his retirement at Valencia. Zarco appears the obvious candidate to join Repsol Honda next year that a ride has been vacated by the Spaniard.
Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro on the other hand, believes that Zarco does not deserve to take the place of Jorge in the Japanese manufacturer.
“Many people say that Zarco deserves that bike, for me that is not true. For me, if Zarco deserves that bike, my brother Pol and me deserve it 10 times more. I think if the Moto2 world champion [Alex Marquez] goes there, more than welcome, and I think he deserves it.” Espargaro said.
“Zarco doesn’t deserve anything. The attitude he showed this year, for me, is not a professional attitude. The people in Aprilia know how many times I cry last year and this year but this is our job and life, a lot of people behind us with a lot of families are working very hard, a lot people are putting a lot of money in the projects.” Espargaro added.
